Alfonso IV of Aragon

Alfonso IV

Seal of Alfonso IV
King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia and Corsica, Count of Barcelona
Reign 2/5 November 1327 – 24 January 1336
Predecessor James II
Successor Peter IV
Born 2 November 1299
Naples
Died 24 January 1336 (aged 36)
Barcelona
Spouse Teresa d'Entença
Eleanor of Castile
Issue Alfonso
Constance, Queen of Majorca
Peter IV, King of Aragon
James I, Count of Urgell
House House of Barcelona
Father James II of Aragon
Mother Blanche of Anjou

Alfonso IV, called the Kind (also the Gentle or the Nice, Catalan: Alfons el Benigne) (2 November 1299 – 24 January 1336) was the King of Aragon[1] and Count of Barcelona[2] (as Alfonso III) from 1327 to his death. He was born in Naples, the second son of James II and Blanche of Anjou. His reign saw the incorporation of the County of Urgell, Duchy of Athens, and Duchy of Neopatria into the Crown of Aragon.

During the reign of his father, he was the procurator general of the Crown. He married Teresa d'Entença y Cabrera, heiress of Urgell, in 1314 in the Cathedral of Lerida. He is reputed to have been so liberal in the expenses during the wedding, that the local counsels imposed restrictions on how much he could spend. In 1323–1324, he undertook the conquest of Sardinia. He became heir after his older brother James renounced his rights to become a monk. In 1329, he began a long war with the Republic of Genoa. The city of Sassari surrendered in 1323, but rebelled three more times and was contested by Genoa.

After being widowed in 1327, Alfonso married in February 1329 Eleanor of Castile (1308–1359), who was betrothed to his brother James, who had refused to consummate the marriage. She was the sister of Alfonso XI of Castile. Because of some favoritism he showed towards his second wife, the last years of his life, he had to contend with the son of his first marriage, the future Peter IV.

Children

Artistic presentation of Alfonso IV, painted by Manuel Aguirre y Monsalbe (1822–1856)

By Teresa d'Entença:

By Eleanor of Castile:

Ancestors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. Peter II of Aragon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. James I of Aragon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Maria of Montpellier
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Peter III of Aragon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Andrew II of Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Violant of Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Yolanda de Courtenay
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. James II of Aragon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20. Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. Manfred of Sicily
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Bianca Lancia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Constance of Sicily
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22. Amadeus IV, Count of Savoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Beatrice of Savoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23. Marguerite of Burgundy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Alfonso IV of Aragon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Louis VIII of France
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Charles I of Naples
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Blanche of Castile
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Charles II of Naples
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26. Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Beatrice of Provence
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27. Beatrice of Savoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Blanche of Anjou
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28. Béla IV of Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Stephen V of Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29. Maria Laskarina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Maria of Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30. Kuthen the Cuman
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Elizabeth the Cuman
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31. Galicie of Halicz
 
 
 
 
 
 

Notes

  1. O'Callaghan, Joseph F.,A History of Medieval Spain, (Cornell University Press, 1975), 408.
  2. Medieval Iberia: an encyclopedia, Ed. E. Michael Gerli, Samuel G. Armistead, (Routledge, 2003), 95.

Sources

Alfonso IV of Aragon
Cadet branch of the House of Barcelona
Born: c. 1299 Died: 24 January 1336
Regnal titles
Preceded by
James the Just
King of Aragon, Valencia,
Sardinia and Corsica;
Count of Barcelona

1327–1336
Succeeded by
Peter the Ceremonious
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